Federal Survey Valued by Scholars Would Survive Under Bill Approved by House Panel

A federal survey that tracks the impact of government programs on households would survive the budget ax under a spending bill approved on Tuesday by the U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Committee.

The Survey of Income and Program Participation, which is known as SIPP, examines income, health-insurance coverage, and use of government programs. It had been targeted for elimination under President Bush's proposed budget for the Commerce Department in the 2007 fiscal year, drawing protests from social scientists who were concerned about the potential loss of the data it collects. Hundreds of researchers signed a letter written by the Center for Economic and Policy Research, a liberal think tank, urging the government to continue the program

The survey is administered by the U.S. Census Bureau, which is part of the Commerce Department.